Code Geass: Enduring Retribution

Key:

" " - Regular Speech

' ' - Unheard Thoughts

" " - Emphasis / Radio Communication

" " - Amplified Speech / External Speakers / Public Address System (PA System)

Disclaimer - Code Geass is owned by Sunrise Inc.

Chapter III: Lelouch vi Britannia

December 5th, Year 2008 A.T.B.

Foundation Day. Ever since the rise of the 98th Emperor, it has been customary for those of the royal family, either through birth or by marriage, to enter the public spotlight upon the day of their birth. For those married, this day marks their introduction into the cesspool that was court politics, with only but a few months reprieve before falling victim to such a trap. For those born, such a ceremony is typically withheld until the child's reaching of the ripe age of 8, their level of maturity and control being deemed sufficient for their official entry into the viper's den. The ceremony's true purpose however, contrary to its formal definition, was a much more sinister one: Power.

Hidden behind the false smiles and gracious bows of both nobles and royalty, it was the hidden search for power that dominated such occasions, an event designed to present those entering the grand arena of plotting and scheming which defined courtly life. It was upon such days that men and women, princes and princesses, hires and nobles, made their stand to face the beast that was the court. A realm where, no matter where one's face pointed towards, it was almost guaranteed that someone was behind them, knife at the ready, waiting to strike. Once the entrance of the throne room had been passed, he who entered would never be safe. Their was no loyalty, there were no allies. The supreme truth of the land was simple: Pragmatism is king, friends are but a convenience.

Lelouch remembered his first Day of Foundation. It had been, for what he could remember, a day of dread. Mature for his age he might have been, yet the venomous eyes and half - whispered insults of the attending audience had greatly unnerved him, that small boy, as he walked down the grand carpet of the Imperial Palace's throne room, footsteps echoing in the engulfing silence. The 'commoner prince' the had spat, disgust and contempt dripping from their mouths, their hatred evident as they had gazed upon his figure. The situation alone had been unsettling on its own, had his father's gaze not met his own. The man's eyes had been cold and dismissive, as if he'd been starring at some form of animal that had, by luck or misfortune, found its way into the very seat of power. His only comfort throughout the terrible experience had been the glowing smile of his mother, standing tall and proud, at the Emperor's side, the other wives seated in the background, glaring their hatred at his mother's back. He couldn't have known if his past self could have survived the event had she not been there.

Yet such things were but a memory now, a time lost in the years since then, a past of war, struggle and survival having ensued, times of far greater trouble that had dwarfed, if not entirely crushed, the emotions of that day. Ironic really, considering how he was about to go through the entire experience for the second time. Not only that, but he would relish it, the perfect opportunity to display his power, his superiority, over the vultures and parasites whom would dare to look upon him.

It had been difficult, these past 8 years, to adjust to a life he thought he'd left behind so long ago. The carefree days of the Aries Villa, the days of rest by his sister's side, Euphemia, Nunnally or otherwise. Most interestingly were the games of chess he would play against his older brothers, Clovis and Schneizel, his years of prowess coming into play. The younger of his opponents had been baffled upon inviting him to his first game, having expected an easy victory over Lady Marianne's son. So shocked, in fact, was he at his crushing defeat that the painter had simply gawked at the board, not quite believing what he was seeing before his very eyes. It hadn't taken very long, in fact, for Lelouch's mastery of the game had spread amongst both the imperial family and higher echelon's of nobility, the vast majority of Britannia's persons of power forming a tight - knit community over the game.

One after another, challenger upon challenger called, their kings dethroned at the hands of black pawns, knights or bishops, thought more commonly the queen, her power radiating upon white's toppling. It was not long before Lelouch had, yet again, come face to fave with Schneizel, the undisputed master of the game, unbeaten for what made now over a decade. The White King was master of all, they'd said.

It had been, somewhat to his chagrin, that their game had ended in a draw. The match had been made a public event, at the behest of the Emperor apparently, with a select group of renowned players as the audience. The utterly unexpected outcome, much to the shock of those observing, had done much to perturb those who'd heard of the occasion, granting the young prince an aura of both power and elegance, ever minute as it may have been. Schneizel himself, master of the poker - face he'd always been, had temporarily paused at Lelouch's final move, the Black King's advance, one which had sealed the game's end. Nonetheless, he congratulated his sibling, stating how, "He was looking forward to another game.", a genuine smile plastered across his features.

Yet, no matter his almost legendary status in such realm, in remained all too true that he, Lelouch vi Britannia, 11th Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, was still seen as nothing but a dog in the court's eyes, corrupted offspring birthed by nothing more than an unworthy whore who'd, somehow, caught their glorious leader's attention. They would come to realize, all too late, how terribly wrong they would be.

As he stood upon the Imperial Palace's grand marble stairway, massive oaken gates at the close, a single thought came to his mind.

'Let the games begin…'

Charles sat upon his throne, eyes glancing over the throne room's audience of the day. It was his son Lelouch's Day of Founding, his time of formal introduction and entry into the lion's den of the political world. He knew, far better than anyone, that he boy would receive no mercy, no matter how smart he'd proven. Neither pride nor childhood innocence would stand there ground upon this day, only with power could Marianne's child hope to succeed.

Of all of his children, young and old, it had been Lelouch that had impressed him the most. From his earliest days, the boy prince had proven intelligence, charismatic, manipulative and, above all determined. There had been nothing, be it rules or regulations, enemies or obstacles, that had been able to impede his son's progress. Those beliefs he had so quickly squashed upon the day of his birth, that of hope and optimism in the infant huddle against his beloved's chest, had made themselves heard, ringing in his head as his son garnered victory after victory, never failing to disappoint…except in one particular arena: Ruthlessness.

For all of Lelouch's gains and talents, the one crucial towards that of power and control, that which drove a man to reach his ends, had never once presented themselves within the boys character, whether in public or private. It was, to the Emperor's dismay, the greatest of disappointments. Here lied the greatest of his heirs, born into this world by the most capable of his wives, and yet no shred of ambition within him. It was, with even greater irony, that the emperor actually felt, dare he say, sadness, at such a fact. It was not disappointment, for that such a thing had yet to emerge from the boy. It was a feeling of dejection born within his own mind that he observed the most capable candidate for the throne, despite his age and inexperience, would always lack that which was all but necessary to rule.

'And he was so very close as well.' He inwardly sighed. 'My hopes will have to rest in either Cornelia or Schneizel then, at least those two might dispose of what it takes to be king.'

A slight pressure to his shoulder, courtesy from a standing Marianne at his side, brought Charles out of his musings.

"It's time dear." She stated in all simplicity, a sad smile on her face. No doubt, she too, had come to the conclusion he'd made.

Rising from his throne and motioning his hand to the side, the crowd fell silent. The time had come, their prey would soon arrive.

A single word rang out in the now silenced chamber, echoing across the stone walls of the palace. "ENTER!" He bellowed. And then the gates opened.

Standing towards the upper right side of the throne - room, an 18 years old Cornelia, dressed in full military regalia, leaf - shaped pins upon her shoulders noting the rank of Major, eyed the massive oaken doors of Pendragon's throne room. As mandated by Imperial Law, both she had the other members of the imperial family, at least those whom had come of age, as well as the upper echelon's of the nobility, had come in order to attend the Day of Foundation for the most recent prince, Lelouch vi Britannia. While courtly politics were one of her most hated of activities, her dislike for the both generally incapable and egotistical nobles being rather common knowledge, she could not bring herself to hate this day. The eldest child of her idol, Lady Marianne, was making his official debut.

The 3rd Princess had personally met the young boy on a number of occasions, most often as the his mother's head of security though also as Euphie's elder sister, and was deeply marked by both his intelligence and demeanor. At only the age of 6, the raven haired boy had seem mature beyond his years, his piercing violet eyes hinting at an unfathomable amount of knowledge. Although she had watched him very closely during his first few playdates with her sister, Cornelia could not deny that she had taken a liking to him. He would always insure her safety first, and was vehemently defensive to her person, lashing out at anyone, even his very own mother in fact, should they seem to harbor ill intent to her person. So extreme was this nature that it was only surpassed when his sister Nunnally was around, at which time it was as if an enraged beast would rise up from the depths of the Black Prince's soul. It was rather unnerving really, though as long as he protected what she considered dearest to her in the world, she did not mind. It was, in her eyes, his most valued quality.

There was, however, something that had peaked her attention a her half - siblings attitude around Euphemia. Whenever he would appear in the pinkest's presence, either deliberately or by accident, it always seemed as if he was surrounded by a feeling of remorse, even guilt, as impossible as it seemed. For what reason she did not known, but her worries had made themselves heard to Lelouch's mother. Quite discouraging was the Empress' reply, the older woman's reply having been, "I think your just worrying yourself Nelly, Lulu has shown nothing but the utmost of love and care for that girl. He even accepts to climb with her in the bathtub whenever she needs her hair washed. I can't being to explain how cute they looked together, would you like to see the pictures?"

Needless to say the photographs had elicited a rather interstice response from the violet haired officer, a mixture of both hilarity and misplaced outrage. The pictures Marianne had shown her showed two naked figures, one girl and one boy, standing in a pristine white bathtub, soapy water reaching up to their shoulders. Euphemia's face, unmistakable due to the blob of pic her attached to her head, radiated happiness and amusement. On the other hand, Lelouch's expression couldn't be farther from his companions. His face was red as a tomato, so dark compared to his usually pale texture that Cornelia wondered if any more blood could have made itself known. He looked rather uncomfortable, to say the least, and couldn't prevent himself from wincing at his sister's attempts to make herself comfortable upon his small frame, chest and shoulders acting as makeshift pillows. Too make matters worse, the following images preserved facial expressions of varying degrees of shock, embarrassment and outrage, so much so that the last of them showed him face down upon the marble tiles, his but sticking into the cool air and legs still dangling in the bath water. Marianne's eavesdropping had not gone unnoticed, it would seem.

Needless to say Cornelia had a rather long and serious discussion with the boy following the little diaporama, the prince having been warned on what would happen to him should any harm come to Euphemia, thought she personally doubted it. Still, it was better safe then sorry.

And so, there she stood, waiting for his arrival, curious at how he would handle the situation. He would, most likely, be at least somewhat nervous, she herself and countless other's before her, save maybe Schneizel, though known could have none with that poker - face of his, having been through the very same ceremony.

And then the doors ground open.

"Announcing Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, 11th Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and 17th in line for the Imperial Throne!" An announcer's voice rang out, a small figure making its way within the immense room.

Marianne eyed her son carefully as he deliberately made his way towards the front of the throne room, his pace both deliberate and measure, though surprisingly slow, as if it was he, and not the audience, that was silently judging those present. What caught her attention, however, was his choice of wardrobe. A small white cravat around his neck, her son's figure was shrouded by an overly elaborate pitch black cape, gold highlights surrounding its form, its collar forming a sort of protective shroud around his visage. Underneath the bellowing wave of silk, the Empress observed a deep purple suit, gold highlights as well, framing her son's elegant and slim physique, giving him an all around more imposing appearance, despite his still relatively short stature. But what truly caused her attention to fix upon her soon was his facial expression, his smile. It was chilling, both calculating and feral in its nature, as if he was amused by the entire situation.

'He most certainly has a flair for the dramatic.' The around mother told herself.

And then he stopped.

'Perfect.' Lelouch thought. The entire process was going as he had planned, from the wardrobe to his gait and, as of now, the hidden comments of those observing him. His wardrobe was heavily inspired by that of his past Zero suit, minus the helmet and a slight change in color. Hidden within the depths of his cape lied a standard Britannian Officer's pistol, its size and shape ensuring it could be quickly retrieved yet remain concealed until needed. And such a time had come.

"Who is that boy?" A court lady whispered to a man standing at her side.

"It's that whore's commoner son, as if he should be here." The man replied, disgust and jealousy completely apparent form his statement.

Slowly turning to face the man, a lower aristocrat he believed, considering the lack of any apparent higher markings, such as the infamous sealed rings common among Dukes and Earls, Lelouch gazed into the adult's eyes, shooting him glare that could pierce his very soul.

In a seemingly innocent fashion, Lelouch calmly addressed the man, in a way a curious child would, "You there, kind sir, what do you think of me?" He asked in a sickly - sweet voice, as if nothing in the world was wrong.

The breach in the events usually decorum unnerved the man, caught off guard and slurring his response, "Whatever do you mean your highness?", though there was an edge to his voice, that of loathing and anger.

Still looking into his opponents eyes, Lelouch repeated himself in the same tone as before, "I asked what do you think of me, I'm just curious that's all."

The noble stiffened slightly, measuring his response before replying in a cautious nature, "It's not my place to judge you your highness, you stand above me according to our empire's laws."

The man's blood ran cold as Lelouch's so far innocent smile became positively demonic, malice causing several of those nearby to unconsciously take a step backwards, as if preparing to run from a predator.

"Oh really?" Lelouch asked in a purely rhetorical fashion, his voice acidic and slightly entered, allowing all those to hear, "Then would you care to explain this?"

Under his cape, Lelouch pressed the playback button of a recording device he'd been holding in secret under his robes, waiting for the perfectly incriminating comment to use for his little display. A recorded voice, that of his prey's to be exact, rang out throughout the court room.

"It's that whore's commoner son, as if he should be here."

The lower noble was now sweating bullets, his act of defiance caught on tape an exposed to the world. It mattered not that the majority of his 'colleagues' agreed with his statement, thought none would dare voice such opinions out in the open, much less in the emperor's presence, though such worries were naught to the troubles the raven haired figure was about to bring down upon him.

"It would appear that you do not agree with my heritage, a shame really." Lelouch drawled, the smirk upon his lips having not left. "I seem to remember a certain law while reading Britannia's oldest law book from the Imperial Archives, fascinating really. I think it was named something like 'Lèse Majesté', was it." His voice had become somewhat reflective, though there were undeniable hints of amusement hidden beneath the current tone.

"And what was it they said, let me remember." A short pause before the climax. "Ahhhh!" Lelouch stated, as if he'd found the answer he was searching for, snapping his fingers for extra effect.

Then, spinning around from his temporary revery in order to face down the noble once more, the boy prince's voice turned into pure ice, devoid of emotion or human sentiment, stating, "The punishment is death."

In a flash, those nearby observe boy's hand dip beneath his cape, only to retrieve a small standard issue firearm. The barrel was pointed upon the man forehead. For a fraction of a second the entire room held its breath, the silence deafening to all of those present. The a small click. The room echoed at the sound of a single shot of gunfire, a brief flash of light adding to the effect. Soon, the clicking of a spent cartridge ringed upon the white marble tiling of the floor, spinning for a moment or two. It wasn't long before a dull thud followed suite, testimony to the ex - nobles body slamming into the ground, face first, a bullet to the temple.

Silence reigned through the throne room as those present realized what had just occurred. An 8 year old boy, son of Empress Marianne, had just shot and killed one of those in attendance, invoking his rights of royalty under the pretense of an archaic law, complexity legal in its basis due to lack of oversight. The moment was sobering, as all those who mere moments ago had been voicing the dead man's opinions promptly cut themselves off, wary for their own lives.

'Now this is interesting.' Charles thought, having never expected, nor ever witness, such an occurrence during his reign as emperor. 'I may have misjudged the boy yet again.' An almost imperceivable smirk forming upon the outer reaches of his lips, internally pleased.

Eyeing the figure that was his son, he noticed the boy was looking down upon his boots, a frown upon his face.

"I'm going to have to have these cleaned before I return to the villa now, wouldn't want to be tracking blood upon the floor…" Lelouch muttered under his breath, though loud enough for those present to hear. It was clearly a message, dismissing the nobles around him as nothing but worthless beings while in his presence.

Resuming his previous advanced towards the throne, though now at a slightly faster rate, Lelouch bowed before his feet, his voice strong and unwavering, as if nothing had just occurred. "Hail your Majesty, I am Lelouch vi Britannia, son of Marianne vi Britannia, Prince of the Empire. I have come before you today in order to begin my service towards the empire."

Charles gazed down upon the kneeling form of Marianne son, before speaking, "I recognize you as part of this court. You may rise my son." The tone used was abjectly neutral, somewhat different from its usually dismissive nature. "While your presence here was mandated, I do not condone the killing of one of my followers, would you care to explain your actions?" He questioned, curious of his son's answer.

"He committed treason upon the crown by insulting the myself, and therefore my blood, a blood shared in common with both my mother, the Empress, and yourself you Majesty. It is, in effect, a direct insult upon your person, one that could not be tolerated should our system become weak." Was the boy's response, calm and surgically logical, with no detectable flaw hidden in the well spoken words.

'Interesting, but how shall you respond to this?' Charles mused.

"And how does the killing of one of the empire's strongest nobles not weaken our nation?" The Emperor demanded, his tone remaining its previous flat composure, thought a note of interest could be detected by those paying close enough attention."

His son merely gazed up into his eyes, unflinching as he countermanded the inquiry, "Strong, you say? How can you claim such a parasite be a symbol of strength when nothing but a mere child put an end to his life? If such if the definition of strength that I truly fear for this country's future. We cannot tolerate the inefficiency and unreliability of such person's in such powerful positions of our government."

The argument was both as sound as it was measured, both preventing its refutal as well as shooting carefully veiled insults at those present within the room, judging their capacities as both lacking and unintelligent. The perfect answer. The emperor wondered if he had not planned for the ongoing discussion to the very last detail.

'He isn't wrong.' Came to mind, his silent agreement with his son remaining unvoiced.

"You are not wrong in your assessment. The strong shall devour the weak, and if this weakling could not defend himself from you that I have no doubt in the validity of your statement. You have my blessing son. Dismissed."

The Emperor's final words acted as efficiently as a metaphorical bomb ever could within the confines of the throne room. Never had the man whom ruled a third of the world ever silly hand out his blessing as a result of a single act, much less so to a mere child who had only just entered the political arena. This, couple with what could not be mistaken for anything but a sense of approval within his Majesty's tone left those still alive completely speechless and frozen, the entirety of the situation having dumbfounding implications.

Having regained their senses, all eyes tracked the now leaving form of Lelouch vi Britannia, his target being the rooms oaken doors. At the moment of his approach of the dead body, a small pool of blood having formed under his head, The boy deliberately appeared disgusted at the form, stepping above it as if over a piece of trash, though not before having wiped off the dried blood stuck to his right boot with the nobles cape, adding insult to injury. It was only a minute later after the gates shut, a thunderous laughter echoing through the hall as the Emperor roared in amusement at the latest proceedings.

Schneizel el Britannia was not a man whom could easily be faced, his outward expression always maintaining a semblance of either warm charm of unthreatening neutrality, never displeasure nor annoyance. The events of which had just occurred before him, however, had managed to chip away at what he had believed to be an unbreakable poker - face, his yes having widened by a fraction as Lelouch left the courtroom. His father's roar of laughter immediately after his younger half - siblings departure only served to deepen his confusion. Today;s event had been a series of surprises one after the other, and each of greater impact than the last.

The voice of his younger half - sibling, Cornelia, next to him brought the White King out of his thinking, registering, "To think that Le…Lelouch of all people could do that. What in God's name just happened?" The 3rd Princess' voice was one of bewilderment ad of confusion, something holy appropriate considering the situation.

"I cannot honestly say." Schneizel began, "I had expected a many variety of things that could have occurred today, but it would be deceitful of me to tell you I had envisioned something as that we have just bearer witness." His tone was clam and reflective, eyes scrunched up as he pondered the details of the event. Going over the evidence, a light flashed within his mind, his voice lowered as he continued.

"This must have been all one big performance to him." He stated.

"What?!" Was Cornelia's hushed response, alarmed at her brother's conclusion, "What could possibly make you believe such a ridiculous explanation."

Calmly regarding her with schooled features, the tall blonde began to elaborate upon his explanation, "Think about what you've just witness Cornelia. We both know that Foundation Day's sure purpose is a display of power, one which may determined the fate of whoever makes their presence known. The events we have seen coincide perfectly with that hidden agenda. Why else would leech kill a noble in cold blood, justification in mind and evidence in hand, not to mention the tools necessary for its implementation? Not only this, but his entire interrogation of the noble, combined with his movements, posture and voice, all deliberately done to intimidate and ridicule that which he choose as him unwitting victim? And, to end it all, his seemingly obvious answers to our father's questions, hinting no emotion whatsoever? Not to mention his interesting choice of wardrobe I might add. It was all a performance, one designed to project an aura of both confidence and danger upon his person, tools of which he may build into a reputation, and, in the end, power. For what I can only guess, he so far having shown no sign of ambition, however I would remain wary from this point on. I will not lie too you, his taking of a man's life, despite his protective instincts, is not a task you can simply accomplish upon the first time and walk away unaffected. He is, in my eyes, a dangerous wildcard for the time being. Only time will tell what he shall become."

'And if he will choose to be either my ally or my enemy.' He thought silently.

Her brother's long winded explanation, Cornelia slowly digested his words, separating them into more easily comprehensible packets of information.

'I'll have to be more careful around Euphie from now on.' Was her first reaction, automatic in its nature to the violet haired Major.

It was a third voice, one of a 15 year old Clovis, that brought what thought had all been on their minds but to this point unspoken, his voice slightly trembling in fright at his younger half - siblings display. "Was that really our Lelouch?"

There was no immediate answer as the room began to clear out, the Emperor's laugh having subsided long ago and his leaving of the throne brining the court session to an end.

In the privacy of their quarters, Charles, Marianne and a short blonde boy stood near a fire, the cool temperatures of the December weather warded off by the nearby heat.

"There is something about that child of your brother that is making me uncomfortable. His past rate of development is simply too great to be normal, no matter his intellect. I'd also like to mention his attitude in court today, something which neither I nor you would deny is completely unnatural for him. His psychiatrists and examiners have all agreed that he was complexity healthy and that his attitude was correspondent to that of a boy his age, if not slightly more matured." V.V.'s miniature rant had rather blatant hints of annoyance, most likely out of his borther's seeming affliction towards the child. It didn't help that this child, of all his brother had, had to be that of the woman who was gradually taking him away from him.

'If things continue at this rate he might abandon our promise, that is something which I cannot allow.' He thought.

"While I do agree that the boy has shown unnatural prodigious faculties," the immortal boy's younger brother began, "I do not believe his actions today were unwarranted. He is known, after all, for being rather obsessed towards those few he is attached to, even more so towards those he loves. Marianne can attest to that."

The mentioning of the woman only seemed to irk V.V. even more, his tone taking on a new sense of annoyance.

"Have you not been listening to anything I have said, clearly something has been affecting him, as I doubt the child would have acted the way he did had he been his normal self. What of the witch, is she the reason for this change?" He asked, suspicions growing.

It was Marianne who answered her brother - in - law's inquiry, stating, "C.C.'s interactions with Lelouch have greatly diminished over the years. We noticed their early relationship and grew somewhat worried, so we have done our best to separate the two. However she does seem to have a rather interesting relationship with him and they seem to see each other every so often, despite our best efforts. They've grown as close as C.C. is capable off I'm afraid, considering her attitude. I am a friend after all."

V.V. merely scoffed at the remark, retorting, "C.C. does not see you as friend, only as an associate. You are merely a means to an end, nothing more. My reason for asking about her is that she may have formed a contract with the boy, despite there being no evidence. Their attitudes towards one another are suspicious, and he may have grown tried of waiting for you Geass to develop Marianne, you have yet to use it, let alone know what it does."

The tension within the Emperor's study was palpable at best, his wife and sibling starring into each other's eyes as a silent conflict raged between them.

Faking a cough, Charles ended the verbal spare, reentering the conversation, "No matter what you believe, Lelouch is hardly a threat at this point. He may have intimidate the nobles for now, however his act has also driven away any potential support. He has no power as of now, and still under my control. At worse, we could always use Marianne and Nunnally to reign him in. In any case, he is a powerful piece on the board that I will make good use of."

V.V. simply looked at his brother, disagreement obvious on his face, a frown upon his lips. "Very well then Charles," He began, tone neutral and empty, "but mark my words, that boy is going to become a problem in the future. If you are not wary than I shall intervene.", and without another word, V.V. left the room, most likely heading off back towards the Geass Directorate's most current location.

Marianne turned upon her husband and said, voice somewhat chiding in its manner, "You know I fully support you dear, however Lelouch is far to special to be just another pawn in your game. I love my child, he is far too similar to us both to simply dispose off as a token toy, and while his loss would be offset once we complete Ragnarök, I would still be none to happy."

Charles simply looked down upon her slightly angered face and replied, "Do not treat dear, I am sure the boy will accomplish a great many things in his time. All we need to ensure is that he does not become a threat, no more, no less. With you at his side I'm certain he shall become a fine heir upon our plans completion."

Visibly relaxing, the 5th Empress of Britannia gave her husband a quick peck on the check, before herself walking out of the study, a car awaiting outside the palace to return her to the Aries Villa, her children waiting eagerly for her return.

In the confines of a V.T.O.L.'s passenger seat, V.V. pondered his latest encounter with Charles, none too pleased.

"Something will have to be done," He muttered, anger apparent with an undertone of jealousy, "starting with that boy and his mother no less…"